Amazon is Coming for Small Businesses
The short version: Amazon is debuting a new program called “Shop other stores directly” or “Buy it for Me” where they advertise products from people who don’t sell on Amazon and then an AI bot buys that product for you. PLEASE do not use this service; shop from artists directly.
The long version: I had seen some chatter about Amazon stealing listings from small businesses but it wasn’t until electriccat.ninja posted and DM’d me that I fully understood and saw my own work on Amazon. So thanks to Masha; head over to electriccat.ninja for their awesome jewelry and artwork.
Here’s what is happening: as part of “Project Starfish,” Amazon is using AI to find products that are not currently sold on Amazon. The AI then creates promoted pages for those products (sometimes creating “AI-enhanced” photos and videos) and promotes then to customers under a “Shop Other Stories Directly” program. It appears for some Amazon users and not for others; I could never see it but some of my friends could. And to reiterate: THEY ARE ADVERTISING MY WORK, MY PRODUCTS, AND MY COPYRIGHT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.
An example: my friend Robert searched for “Yinzilla’ on Amazon. I don’t sell on there so it should turn up nothing. Yet you can see that Amazon shows him listings from my website and offers to “buy them for him.” Then an AI bot places an order on my website, with Robert’s credit card info and address, but uses a dummy Amazon email. Essentially I’m selling to a ghost, who I can’t turn into a repeat customer which is literally how I stay in business.
Right now Amazon is not charging anything for this process; in fact they’re probably losing money on it. BUT they get Robert’s data of what he bought, and down the line if this program is successful and every month I make 100 sales through this program, of course they’ll start charging me for it. It’s the drug dealer mentality.
So what can be done? Small businesses should email branddirect[at]amazon.com immediately and ask to be removed from this project which is still in the beta phase. Makers can also head to this form and add your name to their list of folks who want to be part of a potential class action lawsuit. Also if you get an order from an email ending in amazon.com, cancel that order and don’t fill it.
But the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING is to spread the word and tell people NOT TO BUY THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. I you know any tech/business reporters please share this or email me! This could literally be the end of small independent business as we know it; please do not let this program be successful.
